"No but that's just the way it is. To suffer is to be close to Christ." Aziraphale informed Holden wisely but he didn't fully understand what he said, he just said it because that's what they always said to him. He swallowed nervously and the reality that he was probably never going home was starting to sink in. He was never going home.
His hands started to tremble and his eyes welled up suddenly.
He didn't know if he even felt sad, the person he spend the most time with was Barty and he was here but suddenly there was change. Scary change. He was moving and he couldn't ever go to his room and read in his little corner. He was banished. And all cause he did something really bad. And suddenly, breathing was hard and he ducked his head. He choked out a sob, the reality starting to sink in. He was bad and got Barty in trouble and now they were never, ever going home.
Holden was about to make a move to pull Aziraphale into his arms, but Barty had already dashed across the room. He sat on the ground, wrapped around Aziraphale, rocking him gently as he held him close, held him tight.
These two were cute, Holden could not deny it. "To love and act out of love, that is the way to act the most like God," Holden assured Aziraphale.
Barty rolled his eyes, but he also kept shushing Aziraphale. "It's all good, sunshine. They want to help us. I told you, I'm taking care of us. It's all working out."
"There is a lot of documentation," Gunn muttered to Holden, coming to stand next to him. "Hey, Aziraphale. Why are you crying? Is it because of the thing behind your ear?"
He leaned down and held a hand behind Aziraphale's ear, producing a piece of candy from there. "Ahh, raspberry candy. That would hurt your ear a bit. It's yummy though, you should try it. Do you want it?"
Aziraphale didn't mean to cry, it was just a lot and he was in shock. He felt so nauseous that he was afraid he'd puke up his cheerios. He turned his head away and pressed it against Barty to hide against him and let himself be held. Barty was good at holding, he was a lot better at it than -- well, anyone else he knew. Barty held him all nice and proper, it was really nice - like a proper big brother did.
He sniffled as Gunn spoke to him and suddenly, there was candy and he took it, his eyes wide. He was stunned. Not by the candy, by the trick. He raised his hand to touch near his ear, looking at Gunn like he was truly magical.
How did he do that? He sniffed and then showed it to Barty. "This was in my ear..."
How? Why? Did he put it there? How did -- he didn't feel it come out either.
"Oh? Must be magic." Barty knew it was a trick and it was a silly trick at that, but the wonder on Aziraphale's face was so genuine, he didn't want to tell him that it was a trick.
"Is it still feeling weird, your ear? Maybe I should check again." Gunn frowned and reached out, then shook his head. "Nothing here. Maybe the other side?" He moved his hand and then laughed, producing another piece of candy. "Look at that! Your ears are full of candy."
Aziraphale's eyes were wide as he took the other piece, so amazed by the trick. Then he laughed for the first time since he got punished, hicuping slightly but recovering from his little meltdown. He never stayed down for long, that much was obvious. Turning to Barty, his eyes were full of joy as he held a piece out for him. "I had candy in my ears."
Well, that definitely made it a bit less scary. He leaned his head against Barty and watched Gunn curiously. "Are you a saint?"
"'fraid not, kiddo. I'm just an ordinary guy. I just have a good eye for candy, because I like candy a lot." Seemed as good an explanation as any. He held a hand out to Aziraphale, smiling. "Do you want to see whether there is candy anywhere else?" He probably should buy Holden some time to talk to Barty alone. And maybe he should check on Wesley in the kitchen. How long did it take to make tea?
"We could look." He held Barty tight once more and then, with great effort, he crawled from his lap and took his hand. As he looked back, he knew Barty and Holden had to talk so he left them too it.
As they entered the kitchen, Wesley was writing on some paper, three books open on the kitchen table, the pot of tea set aside. He just didn't want to get in anyone's way. He smiled at Gunn and then at young Aziraphale. "How is it going?"
"Good. I had candy in my ears but now they're out." He looked curiously at the books and then looked up at Gunn. "Elder Pryce is a scholar. He knows everything."
"Everything? Wow. That's a tall order, that's very impressive. I'm nowhere near that, I barely know where I am sometimes." Gunn grinned at Aziraphale, taking a seat at the kitchen table and helping Aziraphale onto a chair as well. "Do you want to try eating the candy I found? Might be best, before it hides behind your ears again."
Seemed only fair to consider that. "What do you like to do, Aziraphale? Do you also like books a lot?"
"Nobody can know everything, Aziraphale. No one should. I think their heads would... explode." Wes felt exploding seemed the most likely, honestly. sometimes it felt like his head would explode. He went back to translating scriptures, trying not to pry too hard.
"Books are fun. It's like a new world in each one and you can go in and explore it. I like fantasy the best." He loved Peter Pan and the Hobbit and he was really excited to start Watership Down. "I hope to one day study like Elder Pryce does. With rare scrolls and texts. And books. I really do love them."
"It's a terrible job, it doesn't pay well." Wes muttered as he jotted down notes. It took forever to get this PHD, nevermind funding.
"Well, you don't have to worry about how much it costs. Your big brother is determined to be rich enough to pay for anything you want." And he had gotten that just from talking to Barty for a few minutes. He didn't doubt that boy would figure out how to see his ambitions through. "So, books are totally a good way for you to go. Maybe you can even write your own book."
Might not be the worst way to work through some of his trauma. "I'm not the biggest reader, but I really love some books. Holden has a lot of books. Also comics, he collects those. I was at his house, he showed me all of that."
What a nerd. "Do you like anything other than books? What games do you like to play?"
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no subject
His hands started to tremble and his eyes welled up suddenly.
He didn't know if he even felt sad, the person he spend the most time with was Barty and he was here but suddenly there was change. Scary change. He was moving and he couldn't ever go to his room and read in his little corner. He was banished. And all cause he did something really bad. And suddenly, breathing was hard and he ducked his head. He choked out a sob, the reality starting to sink in. He was bad and got Barty in trouble and now they were never, ever going home.
no subject
These two were cute, Holden could not deny it. "To love and act out of love, that is the way to act the most like God," Holden assured Aziraphale.
Barty rolled his eyes, but he also kept shushing Aziraphale. "It's all good, sunshine. They want to help us. I told you, I'm taking care of us. It's all working out."
"There is a lot of documentation," Gunn muttered to Holden, coming to stand next to him. "Hey, Aziraphale. Why are you crying? Is it because of the thing behind your ear?"
He leaned down and held a hand behind Aziraphale's ear, producing a piece of candy from there. "Ahh, raspberry candy. That would hurt your ear a bit. It's yummy though, you should try it. Do you want it?"
no subject
He sniffled as Gunn spoke to him and suddenly, there was candy and he took it, his eyes wide. He was stunned. Not by the candy, by the trick. He raised his hand to touch near his ear, looking at Gunn like he was truly magical.
How did he do that? He sniffed and then showed it to Barty. "This was in my ear..."
How? Why? Did he put it there? How did -- he didn't feel it come out either.
no subject
"Is it still feeling weird, your ear? Maybe I should check again." Gunn frowned and reached out, then shook his head. "Nothing here. Maybe the other side?" He moved his hand and then laughed, producing another piece of candy. "Look at that! Your ears are full of candy."
no subject
Well, that definitely made it a bit less scary. He leaned his head against Barty and watched Gunn curiously. "Are you a saint?"
no subject
no subject
As they entered the kitchen, Wesley was writing on some paper, three books open on the kitchen table, the pot of tea set aside. He just didn't want to get in anyone's way. He smiled at Gunn and then at young Aziraphale. "How is it going?"
"Good. I had candy in my ears but now they're out." He looked curiously at the books and then looked up at Gunn. "Elder Pryce is a scholar. He knows everything."
no subject
Seemed only fair to consider that. "What do you like to do, Aziraphale? Do you also like books a lot?"
no subject
"Books are fun. It's like a new world in each one and you can go in and explore it. I like fantasy the best." He loved Peter Pan and the Hobbit and he was really excited to start Watership Down. "I hope to one day study like Elder Pryce does. With rare scrolls and texts. And books. I really do love them."
"It's a terrible job, it doesn't pay well." Wes muttered as he jotted down notes. It took forever to get this PHD, nevermind funding.
no subject
Might not be the worst way to work through some of his trauma. "I'm not the biggest reader, but I really love some books. Holden has a lot of books. Also comics, he collects those. I was at his house, he showed me all of that."
What a nerd. "Do you like anything other than books? What games do you like to play?"